Share Your Story

We know that you have an important story to tell about your lung cancer experience. The lung cancer community needs you to share it with others. The more we talk about lung cancer, the more visible lung cancer becomes and the others are willing to talk about their experiences.

By talking about our experiences, we are letting people know that it is ok for them to talk about theirs as well. This will create a chorus of voices that will lead to positive change for the lung cancer community.

There are many different audiences who will hear your story.

Social Media:

There are many ways for you to share your story using social media. We have a virtual way to share your story or that of someone you love with people from across the country and throughout the world. Upload a picture to go with your story to put a true face to lung cancer. Go to www.lungcancerstories.org today!

The Media:

Getting the media to hear and report on all of our compelling and meaningful stories is tremendously important. As we know, it is the human interest that draws people in and brings out their compassion. Approaching the media is also a great way to promote a lung cancer event or provide a call to action for your community.

Reporters and producers are very busy, so it is up to us to put the story together for them and provide them with the important information we want the public to hear.

Here are some tips:

Write down your experiences with lung cancer. Who are you? What is your connection to lung cancer? How has it changed your life? What impact has it had on your family?

What would you like to see happen for the lung cancer community? The community attend an event? Screening for those at high risk? Increased research funding for the disease? More targeted therapies? More support programs? No more stigma?

Keep your message short and concise.

Use e-mail or fax to send your opinion or story to the newspaper/magazine editors, television and radio producers. If you haven’t heard back in a few days, follow up with a phone call and speak with the reporter or leave a quick message to let them know you called.

If you don’t receive a response, don’t be discouraged! Call again next month or whenever other cancer stories or major illnesses are covered. Keep trying!

When a story is run in your community, and we know one will be!, don’t forget to thank the reporter or producer. This is the key to building a longstanding relationship and is one of your best shots at having more stories published as other news and event for lung cancer take place.

To contact media in your area go to this link and enter your zip code:

Speak at Support Groups in Person or Online

There are many people diagnosed with lung cancer each and every day. For so many, it is difficult to find hope for survival or find ways to cope with a loved one’s diagnosis. You can help with that by sharing your experiences, especially the positive ones or the ones that made you laugh.

There are in person support groups throughout the country. You can reach out to the organizers and ask about attending or speaking to the group. Here is a comprehensive listing of the in person support groups across the country. Check it out!

There are also online support groups and communities. You can post your story and answer questions from other survivors and their loved ones on LungLoveLink, www.lunglovelink.org, our online support community.

Create a Video

We are all familiar with those videos we see on YouTube or Facebook that become an internet sensation. Why can’t there be one about lung cancer? You can video yourself or your loved one or your friends sharing a story about lung cancer. You can put it in a rhyme, put it to music, get creative!

Once you create the video, post it on your Facebook page, our Facebook page, on YouTube. Share it with your friends and ask them to share it as well. Let us know what happens next!